Disc Healing

I have been wondering since the improvment to Disc's healing ability, will Disc priests be accepted into raids?

My priest is Disc, I leveled from 10 as disc, I healed, and healed well before the change to their talents (51/10, 10 in holy for consentration, renew buff, and reduced casting on GHeal, currently I have only 2 points in holy for consentration) and even better after. If I am going to be required to respec to Holy to raid then it looks like I'm not raiding. I do not know how to heal with a Holy spec, and I do not wish to learn. I was able to off heal kara with greens and blues, with the other healer a holy priest in epics (I'd just hit 70 the day before) with absolutely no problem, but it didn't mean much to me because of the recent raid nerf.

I would like to know if it is at all possible to have a raid spot as Disc, opinions?

Re: Disc Healing

If you were able to heal effectively w/ pre-3.0 disc spec in PVE, you'll be greatly welcome into raids. Pre-3.0 disc spec going that deep had few talents to make them worthwhile in PVE (to increase their healing, provide for discounted mana costs, etc). Now they provide a tremendous amount, are far better single-target healers than holy priests (though not as versatile to multiple roles), and provide the raid w/ the DS / IDS buff letting holy priests maximize their investments in the holy tree.

If your RL/GM looks at healmeters to determine who goes, you'll be left behind and should be glad for it. You will, however, have the opportunity to excel at keeping people alive.

Side note -- stack crit and int before spirit. Int is a better mana regen stat, and crit is a disc priest's best friend.

Re: Disc Healing

Originally Posted by joboofoo

I have been wondering since the improvment to Disc's healing ability, will Disc priests be accepted into raids?

My priest is Disc, I leveled from 10 as disc, I healed, and healed well before the change to their talents (51/10, 10 in holy for consentration, renew buff, and reduced casting on GHeal, currently I have only 2 points in holy for consentration) and even better after. If I am going to be required to respec to Holy to raid then it looks like I'm not raiding. I do not know how to heal with a Holy spec, and I do not wish to learn. I was able to off heal kara with greens and blues, with the other healer a holy priest in epics (I'd just hit 70 the day before) with absolutely no problem, but it didn't mean much to me because of the recent raid nerf.

I would like to know if it is at all possible to have a raid spot as Disc, opinions?

In Ten's? Definitely. In 25's? Possibly, although they really start to stumble the more healers you have in a raid, and their "utility" of Grace drops to nil the second you bring in a Protection Paladin. It's fun, but it definitely lacking in something (like mana return on overheal, gg spammers)

Re: Disc Healing

Originally Posted by joboofoo

I have been wondering since the improvment to Disc's healing ability, will Disc priests be accepted into raids?

My priest is Disc, I leveled from 10 as disc, I healed, and healed well before the change to their talents (51/10, 10 in holy for consentration, renew buff, and reduced casting on GHeal, currently I have only 2 points in holy for consentration) and even better after. If I am going to be required to respec to Holy to raid then it looks like I'm not raiding. I do not know how to heal with a Holy spec, and I do not wish to learn. I was able to off heal kara with greens and blues, with the other healer a holy priest in epics (I'd just hit 70 the day before) with absolutely no problem, but it didn't mean much to me because of the recent raid nerf.

I would like to know if it is at all possible to have a raid spot as Disc, opinions?

i found that it was boring to play discipline on beta. you'll get a raid spot to heal MT. if your pala's are talented and you don't prove yourself as better in it then them and the holy priests - you won't get spot. if you will like the art of discipline MT healing, and master it you'll probably get the invite.

Re: Disc Healing

Originally Posted by AetherMcLoud

Rapture.

Rapture doesn't provide mana on overheals.

I was shadow. Always. And now I saw how "totally super mega omfg lol imba nerf plx" Dispersion is, and decided to try Disco. And I don't wanna go back to Shadow anymore Ofc I've done only up to Gruul's on that toon (lol), but still it's a really enjoyable specc, especially when you can top both healing + overhealing meters ( /flex at the overhealing part) ;D

On a side note, Disco needs some concentration. For example, Penance is our main heal, more or less, and there are like more talents it benefits from in Holy than in Disco. They should really add Penance to the Twin Disciples and Mental Agility. Also as Disco I'm still using Prayer of Mending quite a lot, and none of the end Disco talents like Rapture or Grace affect it It's Greater Heal everywhere, and I don't even have it on my main action bar. I just have it on a side bar to pop it with Inner Focus from time to time, once a week or so.

Re: Disc Healing

Originally Posted by wencaar

Rapture doesn't provide mana on overheals.

Overheals are baaaad, m'kay?

On a side note, Disco needs some concentration. For example, Penance is our main heal, more or less, and there are like more talents it benefits from in Holy than in Disco. They should really add Penance to the Twin Disciples and Mental Agility. Also as Disco I'm still using Prayer of Mending quite a lot, and none of the end Disco talents like Rapture or Grace affect it It's Greater Heal everywhere, and I don't even have it on my main action bar. I just have it on a side bar to pop it with Inner Focus from time to time, once a week or so.

Re: Disc Healing

I think Disc is viable, whether you will get a spot will largely hinge on your raid makeup as Disc focuses on single target healing/damage prevention.

I think at the very start of Beta a lot of the WoW community were very negative towards disc but that has certainly changed in the latter part. I'd suggest that there is probably still some residual negativity and I kinda feel that if CoH is getting a CD (which it looks like it is) some raid leaders might look to stack Holy Priests for raid healing and stick to Pallys for the MT healing.

Personally I like the damage reduction features of a Disc priest as I see damage prevention as the safest way of healing. It's also mana efficient in that you can't waste damage prevention and if your MT takes less damage it means your tank healers don't need to heal as often meaning less mana usage and less overhealing.

One of my only concerns is the damage prevention that a disc priest brings isn't something easily measured and if people want to use healing meters as the sole tool of measuring performance then disc might look a lot poorer than it really is.

Re: Disc Healing

One of my only concerns is the damage prevention that a disc priest brings isn't something easily measured and if people want to use healing meters as the sole tool of measuring performance then disc might look a lot poorer than it really is.

I would have to agree with this guy. If your RL/GM looks at healing meters, you are screwed. You will just have to make the argument with them that you do not need to heal as much. It is crazy the amount of damage the tank doesn't even take. Your PW:S right now absorbs about 2k dmg which will equate to a ton of dmg over the course of a raid. And then every time you crit heal another shield goes up. Just hope you are in a guild that looks at the end result (ie, wow, the tank did not die once or we made it through w/o wipes).

Re: Disc Healing

Originally Posted by AetherMcLoud

Overheals are baaaad, m'kay?

True, but unless you're in a fight like council, chances are you don't get a tank all to yourself, to prevent said overheal. (i.e. you wind up a penance and a paladin winds up a Flash of Light or Holy Light while under wings. Tada, you get one tick, maybe two before he lolpwns your heal, despite you already spending said mana.)Greater's terrible for this right now, but who knows what the state of the game will be like come Wrath.

Originally Posted by Ikarus76

All I know is right now all I use is Pen, Flash Heal PWS and Renew. Sometime PoM and rarely Gheal. corect me if im wrong.

Use Renew less, use Prayer of Mending more. It can crit, thus more Aegis, more shields.

Originally Posted by HotSorceress

Your PW:S right now absorbs about 2k dmg which will equate to a ton of dmg over the course of a raid. And then every time you crit heal another shield goes up. Just hope you are in a guild that looks at the end result (ie, wow, the tank did not die once or we made it through w/o wipes).

Glyph of Power Word: Shield is showing me almost 3k, per shield. Every 15 seconds. Grace is utility if you don't have a Prot Paladin, but Power Infusion every 1.6 minutes on your top dps'er? Yes please.

Pain Suppression is also hot, but it can be used in one of three ways:
1) "Oh crap! Don't let that tank die!". Reactionary, low health on tank.
2) "Fel Rage incoming!" "Illidan's just enraged". Proactive damage reduction, high burst.
3) Using it on regular tank&Spank fights. Softens the blows to the tanks, meaning less healing needs to go out, less mana, more regen.

People don't tend to think of that either, looking at it as a craptastic button, waste of a talent point. It is viable in PvE.

Re: Disc Healing

Originally Posted by Ikarus76

All I know is right now all I use is Pen, Flash Heal PWS and Renew. Sometime PoM and rarely Gheal. corect me if im wrong.

I hope you simply forgot to include PW:S in your listing, since so much of what we do revolves around it. PoM should be used on every CD - it usually accounts for > 20% of my healing done, not to mention additional mitigation via the DA its crits provide.

Re: Disc Healing

Guess my answer is a bit different, I say, if raiding is important to you, just respec holy for raiding.
Its only gold
And if Blizz, really implements the dual spec, just set up one spec you like, and the other holy for raiding.
Guarantee you will be needed either way

Re: Disc Healing

Originally Posted by HotSorceress

I would have to agree with this guy. If your RL/GM looks at healing meters, you are screwed. You will just have to make the argument with them that you do not need to heal as much. It is crazy the amount of damage the tank doesn't even take. Your PW:S right now absorbs about 2k dmg which will equate to a ton of dmg over the course of a raid. And then every time you crit heal another shield goes up. Just hope you are in a guild that looks at the end result (ie, wow, the tank did not die once or we made it through w/o wipes).

On Illidan, I (disc) was healing one of the flame tanks while a pally was healing the other. Both were pally tanks in virtually identical gear. The tank healed by the pally was the one whose target we brought down first, so was attacked for less time, yet the one I was healing took about 15% less damage. Take that 15% plus the total of damage incurred and not incurred for the rest of that piece and add it to the mix for comparison... I was towards the bottom of the meter for the fight, but w/o question contributed my share of healing.

RL's should know this - if they don't understand the basic mechanics of the different classes / specs then they should take the time to learn them, or seek counsel from class leaders to make sure they do the best for the raid. Discipline is very viable. Our niche, aside from being another excellent MT healer, is that we increase the effective average maximum health of our healing targets by the proactive mitigation our shields and divine aegis provide - these cannot be afforded by any other healing spec in any class (unfortunately grace is usually a wasted effect if you have a prot pally in raid providing it).

Re: Disc Healing

Originally Posted by Coupage

Guess my answer is a bit different, I say, if raiding is important to you, just respec holy for raiding.
Its only gold
And if Blizz, really implements the dual spec, just set up one spec you like, and the other holy for raiding.
Guarantee you will be needed either way

dual specs for consistant raid viability is a good point. Discipline will certainly be my primary spec, but I'm a little torn as to the alternate...

It will likely come down to which other spec -- shadow or holy -- the gear I've collected allows me to perform best as in alternate spec. The tier sets' design shows Blizzard's feeling that gear needs for holy and discipline priests are primarily the same. But at 70, at least, the gearing for discipline priests requires stats are far more aligned with shadow (crit is far, far more valuable than spirit and mana regen - I've never run out of mana healing through as far as Felmyst in my mix of almost exclusively caster dps / lolsmite gear).

Re: Disc Healing

I was healing in end game as disc last weekend and i have to say that not once did i run oom disc seems to have an incredible mana pool, i only have 10k mana buffed and I think I was getting desperate when i was down to the last 3k, but by then the fights were well and truly over.

I used to raid as holy and i needed mana pots galore, so i brought 30 odd for my first disc healing and i never used one, didnt even use hym of hope nor my fiend.

I am staggered at how little mana you use as Disc, and how incredibly high the crit heals are, according to my statistics of the achievements my highest heal was 12k :/

Re: Disc Healing

Could someone link me a disc spec for leveling please. I want to level a bit quicker but ultimately i still want to be able to heal effectively in instances as i will be hitting holy again. I dont like that smiting one as it seemed to be concentrating on dps more then healing.